Feed bucket retaining apparatus



Jan 20, 1970 R. J. MILLS FEED BUCKET RETAINING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 15. 1967 m m W N I United States Patent 3.490,726 FEED BUCKET RETAINING APPARATUS Robert J. Mills, P.O. Box 312, Forest Lake, Minn. 55025 Filed Jan. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 609,066 Int. Cl. A01k /00 U.S. Cl. 248-313 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A feed bucket or feed container retaining means for supporting and retaining an open-top feed container for use in feeding livestock. The retaining means includes. a frame having a pair of spaced apart generally parallelly disposed support arms, each arm having a hook at the top thereof to hang the support arms in a vertical disposition. A cradle is arranged at the bottom of the support arm and extends forwardly to support the base of the feed container or feed bucket. In addition, a locking means is arranged to hold the feed container or feed bucket while in use, the locking means including a pair of rigid bracket elements which diverge outwardly and downwardly from the support arms and are coupled by sleeves to the support arms for sliding engagement therewith. When the locking means are disposed within the open-top feed container or feed bucket, a substantial portion of the upright side walls of the container are contacted, and the container is firmly situated in the cradle support means.

The present invention relates generally to a feed container retaining means, and more specifically to a feed bucket retaining apparatus which is particularly adapted for use in connection with young livestock such as, for example, calves, colts, and the like. The retaining means is particularly adapted to receive an open top feed container, such as a feed bucket, and maintain that container in proper upright position while the young stock utilize the container for retaining milk or other food commodities.

Young livestock are diflicult to feed, particularly because of their tendencies to move their heads vigorously while feeding. This unusual action tends to upset or tip over the feed containers or otherwise disrupt the feeding, and unless the buckets are held securely, efforts to feed stock may prove futile without constant attention by an adult person. The retaining means of the present invention is adapted to rigidly hold the feed container in an upright position, at a desired elevation, and will withstand the vigorous head motion of the young stock feeding therefrom.

In accordance with the present invention, a feed container or feed bucket retaining means is provided with a pair of generally parallelly disposed and spaced apart elongated support arms, each of these arms having a hook means formed and arranged at the upper end thereof, and adapted to be placed over a stall brace, stall divider, partition or the like. These elongated support arms support the unit in a generally upright disposition. A cradle support means is provided in order to provide a base to receive the feed container, and a movable clamping means, coupled to the upright support arms is provided in order to retain the feed bucket in proper disposition on the apparatus. The general arrangement of the components is such that it is capable of withstanding the violent lateral thrusts of the young stock feeding from the container.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved feed container retaining means which is adapted to support and retain an open top feed container in reasonably rigid disposition upon a portable support frame.

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It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an improved means for conveniently retaining a container in upright position on a support arm, the arrangement being such that it is capable of withstanding violent side thrusts normally experienced when the feed bucket is being exposed to vigorous young feeding stock.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a study of the following specification, appended claims, and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the feed bucket retaining apparatus of the present invention in open and empty disposition;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 and illustrating the retaining apparatus with a feed bucket arranged therein; and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 in folded disposition.

In accordance with the preferred modification of the present invention, the feed bucket retaining apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 and generally designated 10 includes a pair of generally parallelly disposed spaced apart support arms 11 and 12, each having a hook means such as the hook means 13 and 14 arranged at the upper ends thereof. If desired, a rigid spacing bracket 15 may be interposed between the upright portions or segments of the arms 11 and 12, as indicated. Each of these arms is, of course, formed from rigid materials, preferably from rigid rod stock capable of rough handling normally encountered in stock feeding operations. At the lower end of the arms 11 and 12, a cradle means generally designated 16 is disposed. This cradle means is preferably in the form of a U-shaped structure having a pair of legs 18 and 19, spaced apart by a bracket or rod 20. Each of the legs 18 and 19 is pivotally connected to the respective arm 11 and 12 by means of the pivot pins 22 and 23. If desired, a. spreading bar or bracket 25 may be disposed at the base of the arms 11 and 12, as indicated.

As indicated in FIGURE 1, the feed buc apparatus is provided with means for locking tainer in feeding disposition upon the cradle support, this locking means being shown generally at 27 and including a pair of clamping means in the form of sleeves 29 and 30 which are slideably disposed coaxially with the vertical support arms 11 and 12. A cross member 31 is provided for added support to the assembly, if desired. Outwardly from the sleeves 29 and 30, there is arranged a pair of rigid generally vertically depending elongated arms or brackets 32 and 33, these elongated brackets 32 and 33 being disposed in generally downwardly diverging relationship with the support arms 11 and 12, and being spaced outwardly and forwardly therefrom. In this manner, these elongated brackets are arranged to be received within an open top feed container and will accordingly engage a substantial portion of the upright side walls of ket retaining the feed con- 1 this feed container. While it is possible that a pair of arms 32 and 33 may be all that is reasonably required, these arms preferably are supported at the lower extremity thereof by means of a cross member 35, as illustrated in FIG- URES l and 3. This cross member 35 again provides additional rigidity to the system, and further provides the necessary mass for assisting in retaining the feed bucket in firm disposition in the assembly.

The reason for providing the arms 32 and 33 with a downwardly diverging disposition relative to the support arms 11 and 12 is visually expressed in FIGURE 2, that is, where the downwardly converging conical walls of the bucket 37 are shown as being engaged along a substantial portion of the upright side walls by the elongated depending brackets 32 and 33. Again, these members are formed of rigid structure, preferably from rod stock, as previously discussed in connection with the arms 11 and 12.

As again shown and expressed in FIGURE 2, the handle member 38 of the bucket 37 can be held captive by the upper end of the clamping means 27. Thus, the vigorous stock will not be able to inadvertently tip the feed bucket while feeding or drinking therefrom.

In order to accommodate the assembly in a minimum volume or space, the cradle means shown at 16 is capable of being moved pivotally into the disposition shown in FIGURE 3, thus eliminating the substantial storage requirements of the unit when not in use or operation. Accordingly, it is possible for the stockmen to merely fold up the assembly as illustrated in FIGURE 3 and permit it to remain attached to the top runner of the individual stalls, as required when not in use.

It is, of course, preferable to fabricate the assembly from rigid rod stock. This material may be easily assembled, worked, and otherwise formed to desired configurations, and is readily available. Of course, other structures such as plastic or the like may be employed. Furthermore, the Width of the area between the hub portion, such as, for example, 13, and the respective support arm 11, is generally made adequate to receive a runner having a width of the order of 2 inches, or preferably more, in accordance with standard practice in small stock pens. It will be further appreciated that the unit may be tailored according to the requirements of the stock, and will accordingly be suitable for use in connection with calves, colts, lambs or young pigs.

It will, of course, be understood that the specific embodiments shown herein are for purposes of illustration only, and those skilled in the art may depart from these specific showings without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Feed container retaining means adapted to support and retain an open top feed container having a bottom surface and generally upright side walls and comprising;

(a) frame means including a pair of straight generally parallelly disposed elongated support arms spaced apart by a certain lateral distance, each having hook means formed and arranged at the upper ends thereof and adapted to hang the support arms in generally vertical upright disposition, the lateral distance being equal to a substantial portion of the diameter of the container means to be retained;

(b) cradle support means disposed at the lower ends of said support arms and extending forwardly therefrom, said cradle support means being formed and arranged to receive and support an open top feed container thereon, and having a container support base 4 with a width at least about equal to the diameter of the container means to be retained, said cradle support means being pivotally secured to the base of said support arms; and

(0) means for locking said open top feed container in feeding disposition upon said cradle support being arranged upon said support arms and comprising a pair of rigid generally vertically depending elongated brackets, each disposed in generally downwardly diverging relationship with said support arms and being spaced outwardly and forwardly therefrom, sleeve clamping means coupled to theupper portion of said elongated brackets for movably engaging said support arms in free sliding engagement along and parallel to the axis thereof, said elongated brackets being adapted and arranged to be received within an open top feed container and engage a substantial portion of the upright side walls of a feed container situated upon said cradle support means.

2. The feed container retaining means as defined in claim 1 being particularly characterized in that said cradle support means has a generally U shaped configuration with the legs thereof being secured to said support arms and with a support base extending between said legs with a horizontal axis extending in a direction generally transverse to the vertical axis of said support arms.

3. The feed container retaining means as defined in claim 1 being particularly characterized in that said elongated brackets are spaced from said support arms a distance sufficient to accommodate and receive said cradle support means therebetween when said cradle support means is in folded disposition.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,498,511 2/1950 Smith 211- 2,279,442 4/ 1942 Burns et al 248311 2,544,312 3/1951 Hamilton 248311 X 2,550,019 4/1951 Murphy 248-311 FOREIGN PATENTS 26,958 11/ 1913 Great Britain. 237,952 9/1911 Germany.

ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner FRANK DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 248-316 

